Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to various types of connectors known as F-connectors which are commonly used in CATV and MATV as well as general television applications where coaxial cables or other devices must be connected to other cables or devices. They are used both indoors and outdoors, and in almost any environment where connections must be made for television purposes with coaxial fittings.
Such F-connectors consist of a male connector part which is typically applied to a cable and a female connector part which is typically connected to a device or splice. Such connectors are quickly assembled, inexpensive, and perform well up to at least 1 GHz. The present invention relates to a new design for a female F-connector, commonly referred to as an F-port.
The improved F-port of the present invention may be used on any number of CATV and other products which utilize F-ports. By way of example, it may be used on drop splice connectors, ground block connectors and in other like applications.
One important object of the present invention is to avoid the need for staking or bending inwardly an annular lip on the end of a connector housing after components such as seizing contacts have been inserted into the open connector housing end thereby to retain the contacts and/or other components in the connector housing. Thus, the connector housing end is initially open to permit the seizing contacts and/or other components to be inserted, and thereafter an annular lip at the end of the connector housing is commonly bent or staked inwardly to retain such components within the housing. However, such a staking procedure has several disadvantages.
One disadvantage of the known staked F-ports is that they can easily be overstaked or understaked, thereby causing either a potentially damaged connector or a loose connector, respectively. Improperly centered staking is another common problem with this type of F-port. The outside of such a female F-connector or F-port has external threads which are cut prior to the staking operation, with the result that improper staking can damage the external threads on the connector or can actually crack the staked lip or base of the F-port.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved F-port which is formed without need for staking and includes an insert or end cap which provides a flat port.
Another object of the invention is to provide an internal shoulder in the F-port housing which prevents the foregoing insert or end cap from being inserted too far into the connector which could cause damage to the contacts housed therein.
A further disadvantage of the prior art staking procedure is that improper staking can crack or otherwise damage any plating on the end or staked lip of the connector which can lead to corrosion and even failure of the connector.
A flat port of the type achieved by the inserted end cap of the present invention is preferred for better electrical contact due to less chance of RF radiation from the connector and less chance of a failed contact. A flat port of the type effected by the end cap insert of the present invention will achieve greater surface contact area thereby making it less likely that a cable will be twisted as a nut on a mating male connector is tightened.
It is known in the prior art to provide a flat port by casting the connector end flat or by machining it flat. However, such a procedure is possible only when the interior components such as the seizing contacts are inserted into the connector housing through the opposite end. The present invention has the advantage that it may be utilized when the seizing contacts may not be inserted from the side opposite the flat port, as for example in a drop splice connector where both ports may not be machined flat as that would afford no access for inserting the contacts.